Breathing life into dying theatres: Abhilash Aravind
Theatre consultant Abhilash Aravind quit his job as medical engineer to bring the old, dying theatres back to life
As a kid, Abhilash Aravind, a theatre consultant from Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, was not very passionate about cinema. He would watch movies just because he was fond of those, but has never been very keen about the behind-the-scene activities — how a movie reaches theatres and how it is projected on the screen. His life took a twist in 2002 while he was pursuing engineering. His friend had a theatre called ‘Varna’ in Irinjalakuda and Abhilash would watch movies there on weekends and holidays. Those visits opened before him a new world and he closely observed the functioning of a theatre.
When the friend’s dad, who was running the theatre, died, his family was suddenly hit by a crisis and it was Abhilash who helped them refurbish the theatre. “That was my first step as a theatre consultant although it was not a professional one. We made ‘Varna’ a releasing theatre. Classmates was the first movie that released there,” says Abhilash, who flew abroad seeking new pastures of life, like any other young man of his age. However, his mind was here.
“I have been working as a medical engineer in Dubai and Europe. However, I was not content with my job. Then, I heard about Varna again. The family was planning to give it for lease. But, before I could do anything, another party took over it. That was a trigger. I quit my job in 2012 and came to Kerala to revive old theatres. My aim is to provide a new life to dying cinema halls,” recalls Abhilash, who now works as CEO of City Cinemas.
As a theatre consultant, Abhilash takes care of different areas such as determining seating capacity, seating arrangement, screen speck, sound system, and acoustic materials to be used. The journey was no cakewalk. He had to confront criticisms, and many times, he felt like giving up. Abhilash’s first project was ‘Swapna’ Theatre at Pallipuram, near Cherai in Kochi.
“It was a C-class theatre, but the most popular one in Pallipuram. We equipped it with a quality sound system, UFO and all. The response was overwhelming. Unfortunately, it was closed down after a year. My next project was ‘Sreedevi’ Theatre in Kodali, Thrissur. That too had to be closed down after some partition issues erupted in the owner’s family. That was a lesson I learnt... that I must look for long-term projects,” says Abhilash.
There were emotional moments too. “When ‘Swapna’ was inaugurated after renovation, the owner’s wife brought me some fruits. It was a great moment for her,” he adds. “The initial days were really hard. Wherever I went for this, people asked me why I was doing this leaving a good job? There were times I was denied releasing consent by distributors. That was really discouraging. But things have changed now,” explains Abhilash, who renovates theatres with the help of like-minded people.
“So far, I have brought six theatres back to functioning with the help of my uncle, his partners and my friends. Paravoor ‘Prabhus’, Vadanappally ‘Asoka’, and Kozhinjampara ‘Geetha’ are a few. Right now, I am working on a Theatre in Kodungallur. We are planning to launch it this Onam.” Abhilash focuses on theatres in villages with an intention to provide a high-end movie watching experience to people in villages. “Why should we renovate a theatre? Because they have a place in our life. There is an element of nostalgia. Many lives are dependent on this and sometimes, it is used as landmarks.”
How does he come to know about old and abandoned theatres? “There is a movie lovers’ group called Forum Keralam, which is a good source. I am a member in it. Sometimes my friends also suggest places,” says Abhilash. “I do market research before taking up a project. I go to the place, enquire about the theatre’s yesteryear popularity from locals and ask them whether they would walk in if I renovate it. Till now, feedback has been good. We were a little apprehensive about ticket rates. But, people are ready to pay for good things,” says Abhilash, adding that government should take some measures to help people like him.